Study links cadmium to more severe flu, pneumonia infections

CHICAGO, Dec. 16 (Xinhua) -- High levels of cadmium, a chemical found in cigarettes and in contaminated vegetables, are associated with higher death rates in patients with influenza or pneumonia, and may increase the severity of COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses, according to a study posted on the website of the University of Michigan (UM) on Wednesday.

Interested in looking into the association between cadmium and COVID-19, but understanding that little data would be available to look at this link, the researchers focused on studying the potential association of cadmium to other viral infections: influenza and pneumonia.